The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1887-10-24
IN A LucIFER-MArcH FACTORY.
The Dreadfu1ly Disfguring Disease
Which Attacks the Employees.


Which Attacks the Employees.
It certainly is unfortunate that an in
vention which has been so valuable to
the household and, indeed, in all cases
where ready light is desirable, should
bring into the world with it so much dis
ease. The makers of lucifer matches,
large numbers of whom reside in Vienna,
were some years ago attacked with
most singular disease-the rOttlng away
of the jaw-bone. Together with this
ugly and most disfiguring complaint
there were always constitutional symp-
toms present which denoted the presence
of poison in the blood. After a careful
inquiry the cause of of these singular at
tacks was traced to the phosphorus en-
ployed in making the matches. How 1T
could attack the bone was at first
puzzle to the physicians, but it was at
length discovered that the poisonous
fumes gained admission to the bone by
means of decayed teeth.
Some of the German governments
endeavored to meet the difficulty by ex-
amining the mouths of all persons en-
ployed in lucifer match factories, and
Diminishing from employment any artisan
who had unsound teeth. This, to
certain extent, met the case; but mas
much as it is impossible to give every
workman a clean bill of health with
respect to his morals the remedy, or
rather the preventive, was not thorough.
Some twenty years ago the disease also
appeared in New Haven, and medical
expert was instructed to investigate the
matter. After making a careful inquiry
he discovered, out of flfty-nine patients,
fifteen died, and the others were greatly
disfigured by the destruction OF the
upper or lower jaw; in some cases both.
1t is impossible to picture more dis
figuring disease or one which leads to
greater discomfort, inasmuch as in many
cases the speech is destroyed and also the
process of masticatiOn.
The only effectuaI method of obliter-
ating the disease is to get rid of the phOs-
phorus, or of so altering it's character as
to deprive its fumes of their deadly viz
ulence. The common spirting match is
the greatest offender in this particular
inasmuch as it contains the most phOS-
phOrus. Those matches made of amor
phous phosphorus, or phosphorus baked
for a certain period of time, are believed
to be harmless. Many attempts have
peen made to produce matches from this
substance in connection with chlorate of
potash, and at last with success. The
combination, however, only takes place
in the act of striking the light, the ut
most danger existing in any attempt to
combine them permanently together,
The safety match is made principally of
chlorate of potash, mixed with black
oxide of manganese, red lead sulphuret
of anthony and glue, while the amor
phous phosphorus is placed upon the box
instead of the ordinary sand-paper, and
the contact of the two materials produces
the Light.
1t is unfortunate that light can only
be produced with the box, as working
men do not care to be troubled by carry
ing one about. Until this difficulty is got
over, this excellent invention, calculated
to get rid of a most distressing disease,
will only be used in the household, the
ordinary match that will strike against
any rough surface possessing advantages
over it which the rough and thoughtless
will demand. 1t is quite clear, however,
that for all domestic purposes, the old
match ought to be given up.-Brooklyn
EAGLE